Inmold labeled container and molding process thereof

ABSTRACT

The objects of this invention are to set a predetermined height position for the portion of parison or preform that is the first to come in contact with body molding planes of a split mold and to prevent air from being trapped between in-mold labels and the container which is blow molded from the parison or the preform. In-mold labels  7  are fixed to the entire outer surface of body  4  of main container  1 . An annular thinnest wall portion  4   a  is formed in the wall of the body  4  so that the thinnest wall portion  4   a  is the first to come in contact with the body molding planes  14  of a split mold  13 . Under this construction, no bulge of air is formed between the body  4  and the in-mold labels  7  fixed to the entire surface of the body  4.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an in-mold labeled container having an in-moldlabel or labels firmly fixed to entire outer surface of body, and to amolding process thereof,

BACKGROUND ART

As a means of applying a label bearing a decorative pattern, a productname, and/or instructions onto the surface of a blow molded syntheticresin container, there are many types of labels on which decorativepatterns, product names, and/or instructions are printed, and which areglued on the body surfaces of the containers.

These labels to be applied to the containers have excellent displayeffects because decorative patterns, product names, and instructions canbe printed favorably on the labels. Since the work of applying labels tothe container body surface is a completely independent process step,there has to be an additional process of operation required for theproducts to be finished. Moreover, these labels inevitably create slightunevenness or a step between the body surface and label edges, and thisstep may have negative effects on the container appearance and the feelof touch. In addition, with a trend toward thin wall of the containerbody, there were discontent and inconvenience concerning labels becauseit becomes more and more difficult to apply labels firmly and stably tothin body wall.

As a means of alleviating the discontent and overcoming theinconvenience, use is made of in-mold labels which are fixed to thesurface of the container body at the same time as the parison is blowmolded into a container.

This in-mold labeling means achieves the following effects: Firstly, noindependent fixing operation is required because the in-mold labels arefixed to the container just when the parison is blow molded into thecontainer. Secondly, there is no step between the body surface and thein-mold labels, and thus, there is no possibility that the step may ruinthe appearance and the feel of touch. Thirdly, regardless of thin wallof the container, the in-mold labels can be fixed to the containerfirmly and stably.

Since the in-mold labels can be fixed to the container firmly andstably, it is possible for the labels to be clad over the entire surfaceof the container body, and thereby to have a favorably wide labelingspace. In certain cases, the in-mold labels reinforce the container bodymechanically and effectively. In addition, the in-mold labels are givena light blocking effect or an oxygen barrier property so that thecontainer can block the light or does not allow oxygen to pass throughthe body wall.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese application No. 2006-064029

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

However, as the in-mold labels became larger and larger and clad overthe entire body surface of the container, there has arisen a problem inthe above-described technology. With an exception of the in-mold labelsmade of cardboard and having air permeability, there occurred airtrapping between the container and the large-size in-mold label. Suchtrapped air inhibited firm fixing of the labels to the container, andbulges of trapped air gave damage to the appearance of the container.

Especially in the cases where the in-mold labels are clad around, andfixed to, the entire outer surface of the container body, the airexisting between the in-mold label and the widening and extendingparison or preform tends to escape in the circumferential direction andto cause air trapping to occur.

This invention has been made to solve the above-described problems foundin conventional art. The technical problem of this invention is that,when the parison or the preform is blow molded into the container ofthis invention, a roughly constant, predetermined height position is setfor the portion of parison or preform that is the first to come incontact with the body molding plane of the clamped split mold where thein-mold labels are held in place. The object of this invention is toprevent air from being trapped between the in-mold labels and thecontainer which has been blow molded from the parison or the preform.

Means of Solving the Problems

The means of carrying out the invention of claim 1 to solve theabove-described technical problems is that the blow molded container isprovided with an annular thinnest wall portion which is disposed at themiddle height of the body and that in-mold labels are fixed to theentire outer surface of the body of the main container when thecontainer is blow molded from parison.

When the thinnest wall portion comes in contact with the body moldingplane in earlier times, there may be a time lag of contact, depending onthe positions of the thinnest wall portion along the circumference. Inthose positions, contact may be somewhat delayed. In the invention ofclaim 1, trapped air in those positions opposed to the thinnest wallportion, where contact is delayed, can escape smoothly and spontaneouslyin the upward or downward direction, and no bulge of trapped air isformed. This is because, even if the contact is delayed, the thinnestwall portion is always the first portion of the body that comes incontact with the body molding planes.

Since the thinnest wall portion is disposed around the body at itsmiddle height, this height position can be precisely determinedaccording to that of the in-molds label held on the body molding planesof the split mold.

For the wall portions of the body other than the thinnest wall portion,contact come later, starting from the areas closest to the thinnestportion and spreading to remote areas. Thus, the bulges of air trappedbetween these other portions and the body molding planes are pushed out,one by one, by the behavior of these other portions steadily andspontaneously in the upward or downward direction.

The invention of claim 2 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of claim 1, the in-mold labels are a combination of twolabels, each having a length a half as much as the circumferentiallength of the body.

In the invention of claim 2, the respective length of the two labels inthe circumferential direction never becomes larger than thecircumferential length of the body molding plane of each split moldhalf. Thus, each mold half can hold a half-length in-mold label withoutallowing the label to extend beyond the range of the body molding planeof each mold half.

The invention of claim 3 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of claim 1 or 2, the in-mold labels are fixed to the body overan entire height range thereof except for an upper end portion connectedto shoulder and a lower end portion connected to bottom.

In the invention of claim 3, both of upper and lower edges of in-moldlabels need not be located in the portions of the body where outerdiameter is changed. Therefore, these upper and lower edges can be fixedstrongly to, and held stably on, the container. These in-mold labelsprovide a wide range of display area from bottom to shoulder.

The invention of claim 4 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of claim 1 or 2, the in-mold labels are fixed to the body (4),except for the upper end portion connected to the shoulder and the lowerend portion connected to the bottom, but are disposed separately in anupper area and a lower area of the body with no labeled area in between.

In the invention of claim 4, there can be different displays for theupper area and the lower area of the body.

The invention of claim 5 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of either one of claims 1 to 4, peripheral raised ribs havinga maximum outer diameter are disposed at both ends of the body, i.e.,the upper end connected to the shoulder and the lower end connected tothe bottom.

In the invention of claim 5, mechanical strength of the body can beincreased because the peripheral raised ribs serve as reinforcing ribs.If in-mold labels are fixed to the entire height range of the bodyexcluding these peripheral raised ribs, the upper and lower edges ofeach in-mold label rest at the bases of these ribs. Since the peripheralraised ribs have a maximum outer diameter, these ribs protect thein-mold labels against careless contact with other containers in casesof handling many containers packed side by side. In addition, with thehelp of these ribs, the in-mold labels are fixed to the container atprecisely located positions of the body surface.

The invention of claim 6 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of either one of claims 1 to 5, the in-mold labels are made ofsynthetic resin film belonging to the same series of resins as that ofthe main container itself (1).

In the invention of claim 6, there is no need of handling in-mold labelsseparately from containers in waste disposal and recycling ofcontainers. It is also possible to obtain strong fixation between thebody and the in-mold labels.

The invention of claim 7 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of claims 1 to 6, the body has a shape of a straight cylinder.

In the invention of claim 7, the body has a uniform outer diameter overthe entire height range. Therefore, the thinnest wall portion of theblow molded body can be molded accurately and stably. Since the outersurface of the body is a primary curved surface, the in-mold labels canbe fixed in an appropriate configuration.

The means of carrying out the invention of claim 8 to solve theabove-described technical problems is a process for blow-molding parisoninto an in-mold labeled container having an in-mold label or labelsfixed to the entire outer surface of the body. This process comprisesinjection molding parison (P) so as to give a structure in which theparison (P) has an annular thin wall portion (P1) in a part of the body(4) as a result of wall thickness control, setting the thin wall portionat a position opposed to body molding planes of a split mold, pinchingthe parison with both halves of the split mold, and blow molding theparison into the container.

In the invention of claim 8, an easily deformable thin wall portiontends to widen and extend more quickly than other portions do because ofminimum thickness, and comes in earliest contact with the body moldingplanes of the split mold that holds the in-mold labels in place. Then,the other portions come in contact in sequence, starting from theportions closest to the thin wall portion and spreading to remote areas.

When the thin wall portion of parison comes in contact with body moldingplanes in earlier times, there may be more or less a time lag ofcontact, depending on the positions of the thin wall portion along thecircumference, and contact may happen to be somewhat delayed in thesepositions. However, the thin wall portion is always the first portion ofthe body that comes in contact with the body molding planes, as comparedwith the areas on the upside and downside of the thin wall portion,where contact comes later. Therefore, trapped air in those positionsopposed to the thin wall portion, if any, can escape smoothly andspontaneously in the upward or downward direction, and no bulge of airis formed.

For the portions of parison other than the thin wall portion, contactwith the body molding planes shifts from the area closest to the thinportion to remote areas, while pushing out bulges of air between thebody wall and the body molding planes.

The invention of claim 9 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of claim 8, the parison is pinched with both halves of thesplit mold after the in-mold labels have been held in place at positionsopposed to the thin wall portion.

In the invention of claim 9, a part of each in-mold label is pushed bythe thin wall portion of the parison against the body molding planes ofa split mold, whereby the position of the thin wall portion is set down.Starting from this fixed position of the thin wall portion, theexpanding parison continues to push other parts of the in-mold labelsagainst the body molding planes. In this manner, the in-mold labels canstably maintain the precisely positioned contact with the body moldingplanes.

The invention of claim 10 comprises that, under the construction of theinvention of claim 8 or 9, the in-mold labels are held in place in thesplit mold by vacuuming all edges of the in-mold labels.

In the invention of claim 10, the in-mold labels, which are longer inthe circumferential direction than in the vertical direction, areprecisely positioned for all the edges, and in such a state, aremaintained in contact with the body molding planes of the split mold.Therefore, the in-mold labels are held in place easily and preciselywith a posture in which they are to be fixed to the blow molded body.

Effects of the Invention

This invention having the above-described construction has the followingeffects:

According to the invention of claim 1, the body comprises a thinnestwall portion and other portions. Since the thinnest wall portion andother portions are different in the timing of contact with the bodymolding planes, no bulge of air is formed between the blow molded bodyand the in-mold labels. As a result, the in-mold labels are fixed to thebody strongly and stably, and the container can maintain a good shapewhich has not been degraded by bulges of air.

The height position of the thinnest wall portion of the body can beaccurately determined so that this portion is disposed at rightpositions opposed to the in-mold labels held on the body molding planesof the split mold. It is also possible to govern the behavior of thebody and set the timing of contact in advance almost accurately when thebody expanding in the process of blow molding pushes the in-mold labelsagainst the body molding planes. Therefore, the in-mold labels can befixed properly to the body.

According to the invention of claim 2, the in-mold labels can be held atright positions opposed to the body molding planes of the split mold.Since the in-mold labels can be held in place by the split mold safelyin high precision, the in-mold labels are fixed around the entire outersurface of the body, and this structure of labels on the body can beobtained easily and reasonably.

According to the invention of claim 3, the container has a highdecorative effect because almost entire outer surface of the body isclad with the in-mold labels. This decorative effect can be fulfilledwhen the almost entire surface of the body is used as a display areaonce the in-mold labels have been firmly fixed to the body. The in-moldlabels covering almost entire outer surface of the body can also beutilized as a reinforcing material for the body, thus allowingcontainers to have thinner wall.

According to the invention of claim 4, there can be different displaysof in-mold labels for the upper area and the lower area of the body.This configuration gives the container large changes in the decorativedisplays by means of the in-mold labels. For instance, highlydistinctive, individualized decorations can be displayed.

According to the invention of claim 5, the peripheral raised ribsenhance mechanical strength of the body. In addition, since the in-moldlabels are fixed firmly to the body, the mechanical strength of the bodyequipped with in-mold labels can be fully increased. These peripheralribs are also useful to protect the decorative displays of the in-moldlabels indirectly. This effect is notably achieved if the body has astraight cylindrical shape.

According to claim 6, there is no need of handling in-mold labelsseparately from containers in waste disposal. Therefore, containerhandling will become quite easy in the withdrawal of used containers andthe recycling of materials. Since firm fitting of the body to thein-mold labels can be readily obtained, the in-mold labeled containersof high quality are available.

According to the invention of claim 7, it is possible to mold thepreceding body portion with ease and precision when this portion isfirst molded. Since the outer surface of the body is a primary curvedsurface, the in-mold labels can be fixed in an appropriateconfiguration. Thus, favorable in-mold labeled body can be obtained inan assured way.

According to the invention of claim 8, the thin wall portion of theparison is blow molded stably and steadily into the correspondingthinnest wall portion of the body, thus ensuring that the bodycomprising the thinnest wall portion and other portions is moldedwithout fail.

Since the thinnest wall portion of the body can be molded without fail,the container is naturally protected from bulges of air that are formedbetween the body and the in-mold labels. The in-mold labeled body havinghigh mechanical strength and good shape can be molded by utilizing thethinnest wall portion.

According to the invention of claim 9, the in-mold labels held in placeby the split mold are prevented from wrong displacement because the thinwall portion of the parison ensures that the in-mold labels can stablymaintain the precisely positioned contact with the body molding planesof the split mold.

According to the invention of claim 10, the in-mold labels can be fixedproperly to the body molding planes of the split mold with ease andprecision. As a result, any inconveniences, such as overlapped edges ofthe in-mold labels or the edges pinched between two halves of the splitmold, can be safely prevented from occurring. The in-mold labeledcontainer can be molded precisely and stably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the container in the firstembodiment of this invention, with right half being illustrated in avertical section.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the container of FIG.1, taken from line A-A.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the container in the secondembodiment of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the container in the secondembodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 3, with right half beingillustrated in a vertical section.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the container in the thirdembodiment of this invention, with right half being illustrated in avertical section.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the container in the fourthembodiment of this invention, with right half being illustrated in avertical section.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section showing an exemplified structure of thesplit mold for molding the container of this invention.

FIG. 8 is a development showing an exemplified structure of the bodymolding plane for use in the split mold shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing blow molding behavior displayedin the molding process of this invention.

EXPLANATION OF CODES

-   1. Main container-   2. Neck-   3. Shoulder-   4. Cylindrical body-   4 a. Thinnest wall portion-   5. Peripheral raised rib-   6. Bottom-   7. In-mold label-   7 a. Butting edge-   7 b. Gap-   8. Cap-   9. Fitting cylinder-   10. Top plate-   11. Hinge-   12. Lid-   13. Split mold-   14. Body molding plane-   15. Vacuum hole-   16. Nested block-   17. Vacuum channel-   18. Pinch-off section-   19. Blow jig-   P. Parison-   P1. Thin wall portion

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

This invention is further described with respect to preferredembodiments, now referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the container in the firstembodiment of this invention, with the right half shown in a verticalsection. This container comprises a main container 1, which is a blowmolded product made of a synthetic resin, and in-mold labels 7 cladaround, and fixed to, outer surface of a body 4 of the main container 1.This main container 1 comprises the cylindrical body 4 in the shape of astraight cylinder, a bottom 6 dented slightly inward in a spherical arcto close the body 4, a shoulder 3 which is an inward step from upper endof the body 4, and a cylindrical neck 2 having a diameter shorter thanthat of the body 4 and also having a screw thread notched around theouter surface.

In the first embodiment of this invention, the body 4 of the maincontainer 1 is disposed between the shoulder 3 and the bottom 6, andcomprises a thinnest wall portion 4 a and other portions. The thinnestwall portion 4 a is the first to come in contact with the body moldingplanes 14 of a split mold 13, which is a blow mold. For other wallportions having thicker wall, contact comes later, starting from areasclosest to the thinnest wall portion 4 a, and spreading to remote areas.

The in-mold labels 7 to be fixed to outer surface of this body 4 aremade of a synthetic resin film in the same series of the synthetic resinused to mold the main container 1. These labels are fixed to the body 4over the entire height range thereof, excluding the upper end portionconnected to the shoulder 3 and the lower end portion connected to thebottom 6, and to the entire outer surface of the body 4. The in-moldlabels 7 are a combination of two in-mold labels having the same heightand the same peripheral length.

When the in-mold labels 7 comprising a pair of in-mold labels are fixedto the outer surface of the body 4, the two labels make an end-to-endcontact at a butting edge portion 7 a on one side, while on the otherside, a slight gap 7 b in the range of 0.5 to 1 mm is left between twovertical edges so that both edges face each other beyond this gap.

Thus, the gap 7 b is prepared between two vertical edges of the twoin-mold labels 7 on the other side of the connection between two in-moldlabels 7. This gap serves to prevent the vertical edges from beingoverlapped with each other. The circumferential length of the twoin-mold labels 7 is set so as to have a length shorter than thecounterpart of the body molding plane 14 (See FIG. 7) of the split mold13 by a value corresponding to a maximum level (about 0.5 mm) ofmetrication error that is likely to occur. Though the gap 7 b mayremain, it ensures that the vertical edges of the in-mold labels 7 areprotected against overlapping.

If overlapping occurred between the two edges of the two in-mold labels7 on one side of the connection, the edge portion on top of the otheredge would tend to be peeled easily. Once this occurs, it is very likelythat this peeling develops further until this in-mold label 7 would peelfrom the body 4.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the container in the secondembodiment of this invention, to which a cap 8 is to be fitted so thatthe container can be utilized as a caster to shake the contents out ofthe container. As shown in FIG. 4, the main container 1 has the sameconstruction as the first embodiment, except that portions having thelargest outer diameter are disposed at upper and lower ends of the body4 and that peripheral raised ribs are disposed in those upper and lowerportions so that upper and lower edges of the in-mold labels 7 can restat the bases of these ribs.

In this second embodiment, the container has a stable shape-retainingability because the peripheral raised ribs 5 serve as reinforcing ribs.The peripheral raised ribs 5 have the largest outer diameter, ascompared to other portions of the main container 1, and stabilize thecontainer posture when many containers stand side by side. As a result,the containers can be handled in good conditions during storage ortransportation. During the time when the containers are handled, theribs protect the in-mold labels 7 fixed to outer surface of the body sothat the labels 7 may not by accident come in contact with othercontainers or objects.

The cap 8 is fitted to the container in the second embodiment of thisinvention so that the container is utilized as a caster. This cap 8comprises a fitting cylinder 9 which is fitted around the neck 2 byscrew engagement, a top plate 10 disposed at the upper end of thefitting cylinder 9 to close roughly a half of the upper opening, and alid 12 in a semi-circular shape, which is connected to a straight edgeof the top plate 10 on the opening side of the fitting cylinder 9 by wayof a hinge in a swingable manner and is provided with a skirt segmenthanging from the lid 12 along its semi-circular edge.

The cap fitted to the main container 1 is not limited to the illustratedone for caster use, but any desired cap, such as an ordinary removablecap or a dischargeable cap, can be fitted.

FIG. 5 shows the container in the third embodiment of this invention. Inthis embodiment, the in-mold labels are fixed to only a middle area ofthe body, in a position somewhat closer to the shoulder than to thebottom, but are under the same construction as in the first embodimentfor other portions.

In the case of the third embodiment, the thinnest wall portion 4 a is inthe position opposed to the in-mold labels 7. A combination of the maincontainer 1 and the in-mold labels 7 creates a decorative effect on thecontainer.

FIG. 6 shows the container in the fourth embodiment of this invention,in which the in-mold labels 7 are fixed to the body 4, excluding theupper end portion connected to the shoulder 3 and the lower end portionconnected to the bottom 6, but are disposed separately in an upper areaand a lower area of the body 4 with no labeled area in between. Otherthan this configuration, the container has the same construction as thefirst embodiment.

In this fourth embodiment, the thinnest wall portion 4 a of the body 4is disposed in a space between a portion opposed to upper in-mold labels7 and a portion opposed to lower in-mold labels 7. Under thisconstruction, the behavior of parison P (See FIG. 9) in the blow moldingoperation would have a uniform effect on the two pairs of in-mold labels7. Since two pairs of upper and lower in-mold labels 7 are used todisplay the container, it is possible to make the container displayfresh and varied.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section of an important part of a pair of halves ofthe split mold 13 used to mold the container in the second embodiment ofthis invention. The split mold 13 has a pinch-off section 18 under thecontainer cavity, and nested blocks 16 are combined with the split mold13 and are used as the body molding planes 14. FIG. 8 is a developmentof a body molding plane. As shown, a slit-like endless vacuum hole 15 ina square shape is open along the four sides of each body molding plane.Vacuum channels 17 are also disposed in the split mold 13.

Under this construction, the in-mold labels 7 can be held by vacuum intight contact with the body molding planes 14 because the in-mold labels7 are held in place by vacuum along the entire circumference of thelabels 7. Since vacuum holes 15 are formed along the vertical edges ofeach body molding plane, the in-mold labels 7 are naturally held inplace in a precisely positioned state.

When the container is blow molded in the split mold 13 shown in FIG. 7,the in-mold labels 7 are positioned by means of a robot and the like inthe open split mold 13, and are held in contact with the body moldingplanes 14 by vacuuming the body molding planes through the vacuum holes15.

The parison P is extrusion molded by an extruder (not shown) and ispinched by both halves of the split mold 13. Since an annular thin wallportion P1 has been molded in a part of the parison under the wallthickness control at the time of extrusion molding, the parison P ispinched at right timing when this thin wall portion P1 has come to facea desired position of the body molding planes 14 (See the parison insolid lines in FIG. 9).

After the parison P has been pinched with both halves of the split mold13 and cut off at the pinch-off section, a blow jig 19 is fitted to thesplit mold 13, and the pinched parison P is blow molded into the maincontainer 1, following an ordinary blow molding procedure.

When the parison P is blow molded into the main container 1, the thinwall portion P1 of the parison is the first to widen and expand, asshown by chain two-dashed lines, because P1 is easier to expand than therest of the parison. Thus, the thin wall portion P1 quickly comes incontact with the in-mold labels 7 that are held in place, and is moldedinto the thinnest wall portion 4 a of the body 4.

As the blow molding of the parison P goes on in this state, portions ofthe parison P, other than the thin wall portion, come in contact withthe in-mold labels 7, starting from the areas closest to the thin wallportion and spreading to remote areas, and are molded into otherportions of the body 4.

For the portions of the parison P that are molded into other portions ofthe body 4, contact with the in-mold labels 7 comes later, starting fromthe areas closest to the thin wall portion P1 and spreading to remoteareas. Since at the time of contact, bulges of air trapped between thein-mold labels 7 and the parison P are pushed out, no bulge of air isformed between the in-mold labels 7 and the body 4 molded from theparison P.

The in-mold labels 7 can be fixed to the body 4 of the blow moldedcontainer at the same time as the blow molding of the main container 1,by a thermal adhesion means utilizing the heat of parison P or by apressure adhesion means utilizing a blow molding pressure.

In the foregoing description of this invention, blow molding was used asan example. However, means of carrying out this invention is not limitedto blow molding, but can be applied also to biaxial drawing and blowmolding.

1. An in-mold labeled container comprising a main container, which is ablow molded product having a thinnest wall portion annularly disposed ata middle height of a body, and an in-mold label or labels firmly fixedto entire outer surface of said body at the time of blow molding parisoninto said main containers.
 2. The in-mold labeled container according toclaim 1 wherein the in-mold labels are a combination of two labels, eachhaving a length a half as much as the circumferential length of thebody.
 3. The in-mold labeled container according to claim 1 wherein thein-mold labels are fixed to the body over an entire height range thereofexcept for an upper end portion connected to shoulder and a lower endportion connected to bottom.
 4. The in-mold labeled container accordingto claim 1 wherein the in-mold labels are fixed to the body, except forthe upper end portion connected to the shoulder and the lower endportion connected to the bottom, but are separately disposed in an upperarea and a lower area of the body with no labeled area in between. 5.The in-mold labeled container according to claim 1 wherein peripheralraised ribs having a maximum outer diameter are disposed at both ends ofthe body, i.e., the upper end connected to the shoulder and the lowerend connected to the bottom.
 6. The in-mold labeled container accordingto claim 1 wherein the in-mold labels are made of synthetic resin filmbelonging to the same resin series as that of the main container itself.7. The in-mold labeled container according to claim 1 wherein the bodyhas a shape of a straight cylinder.
 8. A process for blow-molding anin-mold labeled container having an in-mold label or labels fixed toentire outer surface of the body, which process comprises injectionmolding parison (P) so as to give a structure in which the parison (P)has an annular thin wall portion (P1) in a part of the body as a resultof wall thickness control, setting the thin wall portion at a positionopposed to body molding planes of a split mold, pinching the parison (P)with both halves of the split mold, and blow molding the parison (P)into the main container.
 9. The process for molding an in-mold labeledcontainer according to claim 8 wherein the parison (P) is pinched withboth halves of the split mold after the in-mold labels have been held inplace at positions opposed to the thin wall portion (P1).
 10. Theprocess for molding an in-mold labeled container according to claim 8wherein the in-mold labels are held in place in the split mold byvacuuming all edges of the in-mold labels.